Points deducted because of pyrotechnics?
Interior ministers toughen rhetoric against fans ahead of summit
26.09.2024, 09:59
It seems to be one of the biggest problems in German stadiums. At least if you believe the latest statements from the interior ministers. After Joachim Herrmann from Bavaria, Ulrich Mäurer from Bremen is now also suggesting point deductions for pyrotechnics. Just skirmishes before the summit on October 18?
Before the top meeting of the federal states with the DFB and DFL, Bremen’s Interior Senator Ulrich Mäurer spoke out in favor of a change in the penalties for pyrotechnic offenses in the stadiums and suggested a point deduction. “One possible way would be to not impose fines exclusively on clubs through the sports courts whose supporters have attracted negative attention through violence or the setting off of pyrotechnics, but rather to impose the penalties mainly in the form of point deductions for the relevant team,” the SPD politician told the Deichstube portal.
In this way, “on the one hand, the clubs would be hit in a much more sensitive manner and could therefore be forced to carry out more consistent entrance searches,” explained Mäurer. In addition, the perpetrators in the fan block would be “under significantly greater pressure not to commit any more violations for the good of their team.” According to Mäurer, fines would not have had the desired effect, “mostly because the perpetrators cannot be identified.”
Watzke: “That’s too much”
The state sports and interior ministers as well as Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser want to discuss the use of pyrotechnics in football stadiums at a meeting with the German Football Association and the German Football League on October 18. The meeting in Munich will also focus on how to better deal with violent fans in the future.
“The discussion offers a good opportunity to discuss issues relating to increased safety, more effective prevention and possible sanctions,” said Mäurer. He believes that a higher penalty for pyrotechnics is “not effective” because this measure “generally has no or very little measurable effect.” Instead, Mäurer believes that the DFB remains responsible for imposing sanctions.
Most recently, DFL CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke reacted angrily to criticism from Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann of the way German professional football is dealing with the issue of pyrotechnics in stadiums. “It cannot be denied that we have a problem. But I did not like the clear rhetoric. I also see many problems in politics and do not attack them every day. That was a bit too much,” Watzke told the “Bild” newspaper.
Frankfurt boss calls for realism
In an interview with “Sport-Bild”, Herrmann had called for a “massive distancing of professional clubs from violence and pyrotechnics” and threatened to play games behind closed doors if football did not get the problem under control. At the same time, the CSU politician suggested introducing personalized tickets in the Bundesliga, increasing stadium bans for rioters and game abandonments, as well as point deductions for clubs.
“I have already experienced that politicians have tried to cause major problems for football. I hope that we will not get to that point again,” said Watzke, referring to possible spectator bans by municipalities, which Herrmann had threatened. The DFL boss was referring to the games behind closed doors ordered by politicians during the Corona pandemic.
Eintracht Frankfurt’s board spokesman Axel Hellmann called for realism in the debate. He said that “the pyrotechnics will not be completely removed from the stadiums”. Instead, the focus must be on ensuring that the games are conducted without violence.